Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Catholicism's misunderstood do-gooders (Opus Dei)
National Post - Canada ^ | Wednesday, May 17, 2006 | Barbara Kay

Posted on 05/17/2006 10:13:15 AM PDT by GMMAC

Catholicism's misunderstood do-gooders

Barbara Kay
National Post
Wednesday, May 17, 2006


Opus Dei, the real-life Catholic fellowship Dan Brown mauls to fictional shreds in his novel The Da Vinci Code, has profited from the public's fascination with the Code phenomenon by opening its "secret" chambers to journalists, revealing the group's benign modern face.

A slew of media interviews with candid, urbane numeraries has done much to roll back the negative stereotypes -- not altogether undeserved in the past -- of an inward-dwelling cadre of ultra-conservative spiritual elites.

I've been interested in Opus Dei for a while -- not because of The Da Vinci Code, but as the result of a friendship with Monique David, director of the Canadian women's branch of OD. I interviewed Monique and five of her colleagues at their Montreal headquarters last week.

Most of them have been numeraries for many years. (Numeraries are Opus Dei members committed to celibacy for apostolic reasons, as opposed to usually married supernumeraries.) Monique is 46, and she embraced OD when she was 18. Like the others, she comes across as mature and self-assured, a far cry from the unhinged, pathological Silas of Brown's invention. They spoke enthusiastically about their faith, and their sense of vocation for mentoring spiritual growth in others.

The core concept of OD is the fusion of religious and secular life into an organic whole. Monique says explaining OD remains tough slogging amongst Catholics, who understand traditional Catholicism and lapsed Catholicism, but not this seemingly paradoxical marriage of religion and secularism.

(Curiously, Monique reported, Jews seem to understand OD's mission easily. That's no coincidence. Judaism is a holistic moral system: There may be a dichotomy between the observant and the non-observant, the believing and the agnostic, but the imperative to seek holiness through righteous behaviour -- Opus Dei's purpose in microcosm -- cannot be compartmentalized.)

With its approximately 85,000 members, Opus Dei represents just a tiny slice of global Catholicism. Here in Canada, there are but 600 members, of which only 150 -- 60 men, 90 women -- are numeraries.

The group's centres serve the dual function of numeraries' living quarters and teaching forums. The three centres I have visited -- two in Montreal, one in Jerusalem -- are all mansions in affluent neighbourhoods, in which the public spaces are opulent, while the private quarters are monastically Spartan. Such disparities make it difficult for outsiders to understand the nature of this unique institution.

What's known as a "personal prelature," OD might be called Catholics Without Borders. It is the only Catholic diocese with no geographical boundaries. Apart from the 2% who are priests, OD members are all laity. Most numeraries work for pay at some other job. As they see it, no employment is so lowly it can't be sanctified and made holy through the pursuit of excellence.

Additionally, as spiritual "coaches" continuously seeking greater "friendship" or "filiation" with God themselves, numeraries work one on one or in small groups with potential recruits -- or anyone else -- striving to realize their spiritual potential. They're doing what they consider to be "God's Work" (English for the Latin Opus Dei).

The optics, however, do not favour OD. Numeraries' lives are humble, but the outsider sees only their elegant homes. They are lay people, but because they live together in one house, hold to a daily routine of mass, corporal mortification and frequent group activities, numeraries present superficially like nuns or monks. Women and men are spiritual equals, but only women serve as domestic numerary assistants, and only women sleep on boards all the time. Finally, numeraries are consecrated to a life of spiritual sharing with others, but seem curiously passive about outreach, relying principally on word of mouth for new contacts.

In responding to the calumnies of The Da Vinci Code, Opus Dei has proved communications-savvy, opening a window of opportunity for a more permanent reciprocal relationship with the public. Very soon, their 15 minutes of fame will be up, but they will need to maintain their PR offensive.

For Opus Dei's faith is big, and their mission, helping people integrate their faith in day-to-day life, is noble; yet their signage is small, and even admirers like me are forced to concede that their message, crystal clear to themselves, remains, to the untutored masses, stubbornly opaque.

bkay@videotron.ca

© National Post 2006


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: catholicism; davincicode; opusdei
Note:
url cited only confirms article's source as it's unfortunately located on the pay-to-view side of the Post's website.
1 posted on 05/17/2006 10:13:17 AM PDT by GMMAC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: fanfan; Pikamax; Former Proud Canadian; Great Dane; Alberta's Child; headsonpikes; Ryle; ...

PING!
Image hosted by Photobucket.com

2 posted on 05/17/2006 10:14:10 AM PDT by GMMAC (Discover Canada governed by Conservatives: www.CanadianAlly.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GMMAC
only women sleep on boards all the time

Fr. John Wauck is an Opus Dei priest and a seminary professor in Rome. According to his blog, the "women sleep on boards" stuff is rubbish.

3 posted on 05/17/2006 10:17:58 AM PDT by Campion ("I am so tired of you, liberal church in America" -- Mother Angelica, 1993)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GMMAC

Over the years, I've known many Opus Dei priests and super-numeraries. If Opus Dei had never existed, all you would say about them is that they are devout Catholics who study, pray, go to regular confession, etc. Nothing extraordinary about them in any way. There was the hope latent in them that I would also "whistle"--i.e., express a desire to become a member--but I saw no reason to join a specific team in the Catholic League.


4 posted on 05/17/2006 10:21:32 AM PDT by Remole
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GMMAC

It has been awhile since I read the book but I never picked up anything bad about this group from the book. Yes, the one priest character was bad but I never picked up a condemnation of the whole group. Maybe I was having an off day.


5 posted on 05/17/2006 11:02:28 AM PDT by TXBubba ( Democrats: If they don't abort you then they will tax you to death.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYer

ping.


6 posted on 05/17/2006 1:44:31 PM PDT by bourbon (cliche' wasted & hate taste tested)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYer

You might interested in this.


7 posted on 05/17/2006 10:02:38 PM PDT by Alexander Rubin (Octavius - You make my heart glad building thus, as if Rome is to be eternal.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: american colleen; Lady In Blue; Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; ...
Opus Dei (“Work of God,” in Latin) is a hierarchical institution of the Catholic Church, a personal prelature. Its purpose is to contribute to the evangelizing mission of the Church. Specifically, it educates people about the universal call to sanctity and the sanctifying value of ordinary work. Opus Dei was founded by Saint Josemaría Escrivá in 1928.

OPUS DEI

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list


8 posted on 05/18/2006 9:28:46 AM PDT by NYer (Discover the beauty of the Eastern Catholic Churches - freepmail me for more information.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alexander Rubin

Thanks for the ping!


9 posted on 05/18/2006 9:29:41 AM PDT by NYer (Discover the beauty of the Eastern Catholic Churches - freepmail me for more information.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: NYer

thx. just visited these folks yesterday for the first time.


10 posted on 05/18/2006 9:51:27 AM PDT by the invisib1e hand (It takes courage to live. Hence, the "culture of death...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: GMMAC

I had a friend at Notre Dame who lived in an Opus Dei and was part of that organization. He and his friends there struck me as some of the most sincere, good-hearted Catholics that I've ever known.


11 posted on 05/19/2006 8:51:14 AM PDT by Old_Mil (http://www.constitutionparty.org - Forging a Rebirth of Freedom.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson